footyhead
23rd August 2003, 06:40 AM
Who should we give up for it ??
how about Frosty ??
Pagan ponders priority trade
12:17:51 AM Sat 23 August, 2003
Samantha Lane
afl.com.au
Carlton secured its entitlement to a priority draft pick after losing to Hawthorn on Friday night, and Blues coach Denis Pagan has hinted his struggling club might trade the selection in order to draft a proven midfielder.
?We?ve got to be wise with that, and who knows what?s on offer there? Someone might want it desperately,? Pagan said after Hawthorn beat the Blues by 74 points and ensured the club would finish with no more than 20 premiership points this season.
?We?ve got a lot of young kids ? we?ve got to consider that when it happens. We?re certainly going to be able to get an uncontracted player come pre-season draft and who knows what can happen when the trade period?s on.?
?There?s plenty of opportunities and we?ve got to make sure we make the most of them.?
The Western Bulldogs, and most likely Melbourne, are the only other clubs entitled to the concession draft pick, which is customarily used to draft a talented youngster.
But Pagan indicated the priority of the 15th placed club come trading time would be midfielders.
A makeshift midfield brigade of Ian Prendergast, Matthew Lappin, Jon McCormick and Anthony Koutoufides, held Hawthorn valiantly until half-time of Friday night?s round 21 match, but was thrashed in the second half.
The late withdrawal of Scott Camporeale and Darren Hulme from the game only accentuated the Blues? deficiency in the area on the night.
?At the end of the day we know that unless we can support our midfielders there?s always going to be the same result in terms of what happens there,? Pagan said.
?We need two or three midfielders. It?s as simple as that. You?ll see a difference there if we can get guys who can support and are capable of getting 20 possessions in the midfield it?s going to be pumped inside 50.?
?You have a look at the midfield, and with what we went in with tonight you couldn?t have asked for anything more until half-time.?
In stark contrast, Hawthorn was able to rotate its Brownlow Medallist skipper, Shane Crawford, and the experienced Richard Vandenberg, Daniel Harford and Angelo Lekkas in the middle.
The developing Sam Mitchell, Nick Ries and Tim Clarke were all rotated in the middle.
?I thought our midfield did pretty well, and under enormous pressure for a half. But the task just got too great,? Pagan said.
"They had rotations and blokes that were able to come off. We haven?t got that luxury, we?re not making excuses. This is the reality."
Pagan said he could not fault the commitment of his players, and said Carlton?s re-building phase might not be as protracted as critics have forecast.
?They?re totally committed to what we talk about, they try as hard as they possibly can. I look at their faces when I speak to them before the game, I look at them in the breaks and I know they?re trying as hard as they can.?
?We know exactly where we are and we?re going to work our way through it. We just want everyone to be a little patient with us. There are a lot of stories that it?s going to take eighth years or six years or three years ? no one knows, it can change pretty quickly,? he said.
how about Frosty ??
Pagan ponders priority trade
12:17:51 AM Sat 23 August, 2003
Samantha Lane
afl.com.au
Carlton secured its entitlement to a priority draft pick after losing to Hawthorn on Friday night, and Blues coach Denis Pagan has hinted his struggling club might trade the selection in order to draft a proven midfielder.
?We?ve got to be wise with that, and who knows what?s on offer there? Someone might want it desperately,? Pagan said after Hawthorn beat the Blues by 74 points and ensured the club would finish with no more than 20 premiership points this season.
?We?ve got a lot of young kids ? we?ve got to consider that when it happens. We?re certainly going to be able to get an uncontracted player come pre-season draft and who knows what can happen when the trade period?s on.?
?There?s plenty of opportunities and we?ve got to make sure we make the most of them.?
The Western Bulldogs, and most likely Melbourne, are the only other clubs entitled to the concession draft pick, which is customarily used to draft a talented youngster.
But Pagan indicated the priority of the 15th placed club come trading time would be midfielders.
A makeshift midfield brigade of Ian Prendergast, Matthew Lappin, Jon McCormick and Anthony Koutoufides, held Hawthorn valiantly until half-time of Friday night?s round 21 match, but was thrashed in the second half.
The late withdrawal of Scott Camporeale and Darren Hulme from the game only accentuated the Blues? deficiency in the area on the night.
?At the end of the day we know that unless we can support our midfielders there?s always going to be the same result in terms of what happens there,? Pagan said.
?We need two or three midfielders. It?s as simple as that. You?ll see a difference there if we can get guys who can support and are capable of getting 20 possessions in the midfield it?s going to be pumped inside 50.?
?You have a look at the midfield, and with what we went in with tonight you couldn?t have asked for anything more until half-time.?
In stark contrast, Hawthorn was able to rotate its Brownlow Medallist skipper, Shane Crawford, and the experienced Richard Vandenberg, Daniel Harford and Angelo Lekkas in the middle.
The developing Sam Mitchell, Nick Ries and Tim Clarke were all rotated in the middle.
?I thought our midfield did pretty well, and under enormous pressure for a half. But the task just got too great,? Pagan said.
"They had rotations and blokes that were able to come off. We haven?t got that luxury, we?re not making excuses. This is the reality."
Pagan said he could not fault the commitment of his players, and said Carlton?s re-building phase might not be as protracted as critics have forecast.
?They?re totally committed to what we talk about, they try as hard as they possibly can. I look at their faces when I speak to them before the game, I look at them in the breaks and I know they?re trying as hard as they can.?
?We know exactly where we are and we?re going to work our way through it. We just want everyone to be a little patient with us. There are a lot of stories that it?s going to take eighth years or six years or three years ? no one knows, it can change pretty quickly,? he said.